Thinking of Mom

We miss you, Mom (Grandma).

We are praying for a speedy recovery.

(Mom and Dad (Grandma and Grandpa))

(Grandma at Joey's 1st Birthday)

Baseballs, Soccer Balls and Birthday Candles

Henry's baseball team -- the Owlz -- finished their baseball season undefeated (again).  Since there's no score kept in the games, I have every right to make that claim.  I witnessed 13 ties.  In three years, my son's baseball team has not won or lost a single game.

Leave it to the local baseball league to teach the kids the valuable lesson of mediocrity.  Charlie Brown would be proud.  No winners and no losers.  Just confused children.  

Unfortunately, once again, the kids received a lame trophy for the accomplishment.  Last year, it was a mini baseball bat used primarily in our house as a nightstick.  We had to hide those from the kids for fear Caroline was going to go Tonya Harding on Henry.  

This year, it was a ceramic wall plate that looked like it was forged by Hans Nowak on a mid-afternoon bender.

Cheap crap.

I want some fake gold on a RC Cola can.  

Now that's a trophy.

Anyway, here's the squad: 

(Henry is the first kid kneeling in the front row from the left.  Dig the kid giving himself bunny ears.   Who does that?)

(Oh, and don't be fooled into thinking we played on that diamond.  We played on the equivalent of three dirt-covered parking lots this year.)

The same day as the end of baseball season brought our third rendition of Hoosierpalooza -- our family's tribute to all things Indiana.  We deep-fried pork tenderloins, swilled copious amounts of PBR, listened to Henry Lee Summer and John Mellencamp music and made the neighbors regret their neighborhood selection.

Unfortunately, due to the fact that I drank too much, I was unable to take photos during the event.  Instead, all I have is the Hoffman-Holman-Funkhouser kid photos which closed out the day after Hoosierpalooza.

Maybe, next year.

(As a further tribute to Indiana, it was 92 degrees when this picture was taken.  Look at all those happy faces!)

Moving on from Hoosierpalooza was Henry's birthday -- which we will cover later -- and Caroline's soccer debut.

Caroline is an athlete waiting to blossom.  She's got her mother's mad skills, but a Hoffman-esque shyness that is sweet and stubborn at the same time.   This is the first year that she's opened up to the idea of playing sports without her wingman (Henry) being involved.  Henry is playing soccer but on a different field from Caroline.

Caroline has taken to this separation extremely well.

(Caroline [black shorts at right] getting ready to dribble the soccer ball.)

(Caroline on a breakaway!)

So far, soccer has been a success for the Big C.

Now, back to Henry's birthday.

Henry and his buds did an afternoon trip to Fun N' Stuff to celebrate his 7th birthday and he did a family gathering with everyone prior to the Palooza.

(They're all friendly before the Laser Tag breaks out.)

For whatever reason, for each of the past seven birthdays, one of our children invariably cries during the singing of "Happy Birthday".  This year was no different.  Josie has acquired the gene.  Here's proof:

It's been a tiring couple of weeks at the Holman house.  I caught Josie sleeping in Henry's room and took the picture below. 

Sleep has never looked so peaceful.

We could use a truckload of these moments.